Road-Trip Off The Beaten Path With These Apps [iOS Tips]

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AlienAirstream

Road-trips are tons of fun, but it’s easy to forget that the journey itself is just as important as the destination. Sure, you may be driving across the country to head to a resort or amusement park, but there’s fun to be had along the way as well.

Here are three apps that will help you get off the highway and deeper into the joys of traveling the road this summer.

According to the iTunes app description, Roadside America will make sure you “never miss another giant twine ball, crazy museum or hilarious statue.” This is a neat looking app that will give you one of seven “oddity-rich” US or Canadian regions, with an option to unlock all regions available for in-app purchase. You can search by location, zip code, address, city, or attraction name, and then filter with over 70 categories, like Atomic, Music, Celebrities, and more. The app hooks into RoadsideAmerica.com and provides editorial commentary and ratings on the various oddball places along your route.

Rest Stops Plus seems like an ideal companion if you’re heading down the open road on the United States or Canadian highway system, at least. It has over 4,000 places in its database: turn outs, scenic vista stops, rest areas, etc. You can filter the list of available stops by amenities like picnic tables, accessible parking, restrooms, and even travel direction (only northbound stops, for example) to make sure you’re getting what you need.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you knew what was at the next exit off the highway? I always end up seeing the signs for places I want to stop AFTER I’ve wooshed by the actual exit for them. That problem is solved with iExit, an app that tells you what’s coming up at the next exit, in real time. It look spretty slick, and it’ll make sure you don’t miss things you want to see rather than having to settle for things you happen upon when you drop off the interstate.

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